The Starry-Eyed Podcast

Joining the show is Sarah Schaefer, WSA Executive Director, to talk about the upcoming WSA International Convention in July 2026! 

UPDATE: We know many of you planning to attend the 2026 WSA Convention in Buffalo are eager to book your hotel rooms. We had hoped to receive final clearance from our hotel partners by  November 5, but uncertainties about construction plans and the room block at one of our primary hotels have caused a d...

We're back with more Nick Doris, who is leading the WSA's Wellness programming! This week he guides Jen and Brendan through some exercises and discusses the joyous energy that comes from working with a roomful of people with Williams syndrome.

Then it's back to the sea with a couple international travelers: Holly Griffin from Western Canada and Dagmar Hakonandottir from Iceland! Together with USA's Nathan Carlton, they talk about w...

It's our first two-parter! Jen and Brendan welcome our dear friend Nick Doris to talk about the WSA's Wellness programs: Wellness Wednesday and Mindfulness Mondays. This discussion on mental health and how we treat ourselves and others is so wonderful it couldn't be contained in just one show. Be sure to check out williams-syndrome.org/wellnesswednesday for more information on Nick's work.

Then it's back to the high seas where Prod...

Note on Episode 67: The $15 million inheritance mentioned in Episode 67 was part of a spam email scam. Of course we didn’t fall for it, but it was fun to joke about. We apologize if there was any confusion about its validity.

This week the pod is joined by Oklahoma's very own Hope Hansen. This wide-ranging discussion covers everything from college and living on your own versus living with roommates, to being a working woman and fig...

This episode features something truly remarkable. Jennifer Scheuerell and her daughters, Liv & Kaya, share their story of 2 daughters, born years apart, yet both having Williams syndrome. There is no known reason why Jennifer and her husband should have 2 kiddos with WS, which means that the odds of these girls happening is around 1 in 100,000,000! 

Then the show is joined by Jeff Isensee who shares what he loves and what he fi...

WSA Educational Consultant Dr. Robin Pegg returns to the WSA's Starry-Eyed Podcast for her third year with some fantastic back-to-school advice for parents and caregivers. This episode deals specifically with setting goals and working with your team to create effective IEPs. It's not to be missed. Robin's slides from the episode plus some goal setting example templates are available here

This episode is sponsored by Innersense Org...

For many of our families, Clancey Hopper has been a constant figure in the WS community. She has spent years as a kind and powerful advocate for herself and others with WS. We are so thrilled that she was able to join Jen and Brendan for a discussion on life and her work. 

Come for the convo, stay for the cloggin'!

This episode is sponsored by Innersense Organic Beauty.

Click on THIS LINK and complete your purchase and 25% of you...

It's sweltering hot outside and we got some sweltering hot takes on this weeks episode!

Jen and Brendan visit with Elizabeth Bress who is a strong self-advocate from the Brevard, FL area! She shares her experiences going through school mostly mainstreamed and how that has shaped her adult life. They also discuss her Facebook group Inclusion is Love and how she accumulates data with polls she puts out allowing people with and withou...

The gang is back together after a month of traveling and shenanigans! Jen, Producer Joel, and Brendan share stories of their travels to Japan, the Caribbean, and Philadelphia, respectively.

Note: On behalf of the entire Starry-Eyed Podcast family, we want to apologize to the nation of Japan for almost destroying your bullet train. Whoopsie!

In this episode, the gang are joined by Alex and Matt Boxall, twins from outside Chicago who...

This special episode takes a look back at the journey of understanding Williams syndrome—and how the WSA has grown alongside it. Through past interviews, we hear from leading voices in the field: Dr. Barbara Pober, Dr. Marty Levinson, Dr. Elizabeth Barnhardt, Dr. Becca Lyren, Dr. Jocelyn Krebs, Dr. Ben Jacob, and former WSA Executive Director Terry Monkaba.

Together, their insights paint a picture of how research, diagnosis, care, ...

Recently, creator of Innersense Organic Beauty and friend of the show Joanne Starkman, invited the gang to be on her new podcast, "Trust Your Innersense." It was a wonderful conversation about how Williams syndrome has touched all aspects of our lives and irrevocably changed our respective life paths. We also get into the early days of the show and how it's evolved over the last 2 years. We hope you enjoy this this little trip into...

Last Saturday marked the end of Williams Syndrome Awareness Month and to cap it off, WSA Executive Director Sarah Schaefer and Producer Joel held a 14-hour Give-A-Thon to reach $100,000! Around hour 9 1/2, Jen and Brendan joined for a live podcast featuring Varun Indugula. Varun is a student at the University of North Carolina and the younger brother of Prannoy, who has WS. Varun moderates the Adult Siblings Support Group for the W...

We're well into Williams Syndrome Awareness Month and in this episode, Jen, Brendan, and Producer Joel welcome singer, bon vivant, and raconteur Avi Lesser! He (along with his mother Carol Patinkin and special guest Jon Kent) recount the many hours spent in Graceland, his trips abroad and his love for all kinds of national anthems! This is one gets silly! 

We'd also welcome our first sponsor: Innersense Organic Beauty! Click on thi...

Happy Williams Syndrome Awareness Month! To kick things off we have a extra-large episode for you!

Jen and Brendan are joined by Megan McNeil to share the love of being part of the WS community and how much brighter the world is when people choose kindness over bullying.

Then we welcome back former Executive Director Terry Monkaba for her first interview in a couple years! They discuss the early days of the WSA and being part of so...

On this episode, Jen and Brendan are joined by Erin & Sophie Rupolo who, thanks to Team Impact, are jet setting all over the country with the Maryland Terrapins Women's Basketball Team. The Lady Terps have truly made Sophie one of their own..even when she is in full teenager mode.

Then, Alex Bentley joins the pod to talk about working at Disney World. It was a childhood dream, and thanks to hard work, determination, and help fr...

Today we have not one, not two, but three guests at once - A THREE-FER!

Jen and Brendan are joined by Brett Beger, Carl Hanson, and Ben Monkaba to discuss what it's like living together as 3 dudes under the same roof. It's a fantastic story of friends, independence, and the courage to try something scary.

Speaking of scary, we, of course, talk about the one clown who is an exception to Jen and Producer Joel's fear of clowns - Big R...

Gird your ears for Producer Joel has lost his voice. Before it went completely away, he was able to spend the week at Camp Blue Skies in Georgia, with around 75 adults with Williams syndrome. 

Camp creator Dick Sesler and his son, Brent the Mayor of camp, sat down to talk about the need for community for our adults and what the future holds.

Then, Producer Joel set up the camera and mics and interviewed whoever was willing to sit d...

Two years! 53 episodes! 3 podlet mini-sodes!

Two years is longer than Blackbeards reign of terror on the high seas!

Two years is longer than the existence of the Pony Express!

Technically our show has lasted longer than the Disco era (2 years...look it up)!

On this episode, Jen and Brendan welcome Jon Kent, who has been a part of the Williams syndrome community for decades, but only recently joined the staff as the new Vice Preside...

In this episode, Jennifer, Brendan, and Producer Joel kick things off with a celebration—Brendan’s appointment as WSA Secretary! He is the first person with WS to hold a position on the Executive Committee of the WSA Board of Trustees! Next, we welcomed newcomer Sarah Schaefer, the new Executive Director of the WSA (Just kidding, it’s the same Sarah we already know and love)! She shared her vision, passion, and what’s ahead for the...